Thousands of people in Ventura County rely on medical cannabis to relieve chronic pain, side effects of cancer treatment, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, insomnia, nausea, glaucoma, diabetes, and a host of other medical conditions.

Although the State of California voted to grant its citizens the right to use cannabis to treat these medical conditions in 1996, city after city and county after county has opted to maintain or strengthen bans against dispensaries, delivery services, processing, and both personal and collective cultivation.

It is unjust to tell residents of Ventura County they must go elsewhere to exercise these rights.

Council members and county supervisors are openly acknowledging that medical use of cannabis is legitimate and that lack of safe access mechanisms are creating problems for our residents, who rely on this natural plant medicine for pain reduction, health and wellness.

We must stop procrastinating and start addressing the serious issue of how to provide safe alternatives to black market marijuana for ailing patients in our community.